Attorney Paul Greenwood, well known to many Rancho Bernardans for his advocacy of the treatment of elders, his passion for helping put elder abusers behind bars and his enormous wit, will be at Seven Oaks Community Center Thursday, March 8 at 10 a.m.

He realizes that Rancho Bernardo has two districts limited to people 55 and over, Seven Oaks and Oaks North, and wants to educate us all on the signs of elder abuse: physical, financial, emotional, sexual and neglect. And, most importantly, what we as neighbors or family can do about it.

Paul has been a District Attorney’s Office prosecutor since March, 1993. From 1981 to 1991 he worked as a barrister and then a solicitor of the Supreme Court of England and Wales; then to U.S. and admitted to the California Bar in 1991.

He has been involved in the prosecution of over 200 felony cases of elder abuse, both physical and financial; he supervises four other elder abuse prosecutors and a support staff of six. He is currently Chair of California’s DA Elder Abuse Committee and has been named as one of the "Lawyers of the Year" by the California Lawyer magazine in 1999. He has been featured on both CBS’s "Eye on America" and NBC’s "Nightly News," reflecting a growing trend in the mainstream media to bring national attention to the ever-growing problem of Elder Abuse.

Several key factors place an individual at the highest risk for abuse: 70% of the victims are female. The average age of the victim is 78, with those more than 80 years of age being a frequent target. Victims often live alone and fear institutionalism or removal from their home. Most often elder abuse is perpetrated by loved ones or persons in positions of trust. Abusers are evenly divided, male and female. Most abusers are family members often dependent on the victim financially. They may be unemployed or have a spotty work history and a history of financial problems. Neighbors and friends should be on the lookout for telltale signs of abuse or incipient abuse; Paul Greenwood will tell us how to recognize the signs and how to report them safely and confidentially.

SPECIAL THANKS to the RB merchants who donated to the Neighborhood Watch / Emergency Preparedness Volunteer Recognition Party held last week for outstanding volunteers. We appreciate your generosity; you helped make the party a huge success:

Albertson's, Cocos, Pizza Hut, Radio Shack, Sav-on, Submarina, Subway, Unicorn Jewelers, Village Mail and More, and Zyda’s Deli.